Trolley



Patented Aug. 2, 1898. F. E. CASE.

TBOLLEY.

(Application filed June 80, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPAN TROL Y, OF NEV YORK.

LEY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 608,281, dated August 2,1898. Application filed 116 30, 1897. Serial N0 642,909. (No model.) E

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. OAsE, a citizen in the county ofSchenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Trolleys, (Case No. 566,) of which the following is aspecification.

. The present invention relates to trolleys employed on electricrailways, and has for its object to decrease the cost of manufacturingby lessening the number of parts employed and to provide a trolley whichis adapted for a wide range of movement in its operation, particularreference being made to itsoperation in the lowest position The presentinvention is an improvement upon the trolleyshown in Patent No. 498,722,dated May 30, 1893, to R. D. Nuttal, and by it I am-enabled to dispensewith one of the lif ting-sprin gs, a sliding cross-head, and rodssprings to lift the trolley-arm and act as a buffer when for any reasonthe contact-wheel leaves the overhead conductor and flies upward. 1

In the construction of trolleys it is desirable to make the baseor'support as low as possible, so that it will not interfere with theoperation of the vehicle when 'the trolley-wire is in closeproximitythereto. I have found in trolleys as ordinarily constructedthat the which the trolley-arm moves too high on the stand, so that whenthe outer or free endof the arm is depressed the trolley-pole, due tothe curve therein, strikes the suspended conductor and either throws thetrolley-wheel out of contact with the wire or causes excessive arcing bymomentarily touching the wire from time to time as the vehicleprogresses.

In the accompanying drawings attached to and made a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved trolley-stand;Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same with the trolley-pole broken away.Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2; and Fig. 4 isadiagrammatic view illustrating the advantage of my improved trolley.

The base for the'trolley consists of a circular casting A, having avertically-extending stud B. (Shownin dotted lines, Fig. 2.) This studforms a swivel-support for the casting 0, permitting it to turn freelythereon both when it is desired to reverse the trolleyand run thevehicle in the opposite direction and to allow the contact-wheel tofollow the curves and irregularities in the conductor-wire. To establishelectrical connection between the base and other apparatus on thevehicle, a socket O is provided, having set-screws for sec a conductorin place. In a lug Oon the casting O is mounted a pipe D, which may besecured in any desired manner. The outer end of the pipe isscrewthreaded and provided with nuts E, acting as a stop for the slidinghead F. Formed integrally with the sliding head F are outwardlyextendinglugs F, having tapered holes F in which are mounted the side rods G.Mounted upon the inner end of pipe D is a sliding collar I, normallyresting against lug O. EX- tending laterally from the collar are lugs I,against which the curved portions J of the fork abut. Thepole-socket Lconsists of-a casting having'an angular receptacle for the trolley-poleN, and a removable clamp M, secured to the casting by boltsL 'The'lowerportion of the socket is provided with a fork the sides of whichstraddle the casting 0. At the lower extremity of the fork are bossesforming bearings for the socket, andextending transversely through thebosses and the casting O is a shaft 0, which forms the center-ofmovement of the trolley, which is below the center line of thelifting-spring K. Formed integral with the arms of the fork are lugs P,and rods G are hooked at their inner end to lugs P and held'at the outerend, which passes through the cross-head, by screwthreads andadjusting-nuts.-

Surrounding the pipe D is a spiral spring K, made in two parts forconvenience of manufacture, and under HOIIIIELlCOIldllElODS is employedfor lifting the contact-wheel at the extreme end of the trolley-pole;-In addition to this the spring K is employed as a buffer to take up theshock whenthe contactwheel leaves the overhead conductor and fliesupward.

When the trolley is workingunder normal conditions, the spring K iscompressed from the outer end by the cross-head F. Thisgives ing 60 therequired upward pressure to the trolleywheel on the end of the pole.

\Vith the parts in the position shown the curved lugs J on the forkengage with the lugs I on the collar I and prevent the pole from movingfarther to the left, except for the buffer action when the trolleyleaves the wire. IVith the lugs J arranged as shown the trolley-pole canmove upward until it assumes a vertical position. A further movementwill compress spring K from the inner end.

By utilizing the spring K as a buffer as well as for lifting I amenabled to dispense with the second spring, pipe, and cross-headordinarily employed and situated diametrically opposite from thoseshown. This de creases the cost of manufacture and maintenance and alsomakes a trolley which is considerably lighter. I do not, however, limitmyself to a trolley so arranged that the spring K acts only as a bufferwhen the trolley assumes a vertical position. If desired, the springmaybe so arranged that the trolley will have only a limited upwardmovement as eighty degrees, for example.

In Fig. at I have shown diagrammatically the advantage of my improvedtrolley over others with which I am familiar. Q representsatrolley-wire, and making contact therewith is a wheel 1t, carried bythe other end of pole N. Ordinary trolley poles when pressed upward sothat their contact-wheel engages with the overhead conductor are more orless curved, due to the pressure of the lifting-springs. This is noparticular objection so long as the trolley is working under normalconditions; but as soon as the overhead conductor closely approaches thetop of the car the tension on the lifting springs is increased, and thepole bends in a manner similar to that shown in the drawings. The brokenand dotted line indicates the ordinary construction of trolley with thecenter of. motion of the pole placed comparatively high and above thecenter of the lifting-springs, and it will be seen that the pole strikesthe conductor Q. This would prevent the operation of the trolley whenthe conductor dropped to this point. By making the center of motion ofthe trolley very low I am enabled to provide a trolley which will workbetween much wider limits than heretofore. Iteferring to Fig. i, thecenter of motion is about six inches lower than is customary and thecurve on the pole is somewhat less, owing to the decrease in strain onthe lifting-spring, and a safe working distance is provided between thewire and the pole.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. In a trolley, the combination of base, a combined lifting and bufferspring extending in one direction only from the base, anda pole-soeketpivoted to the base at a point below the center line of the spring.

2. In a trolley, the combination of a base,

a single pipe or equivalent frame-piece secured to the base andextending outwardly therefrom, asliding cross-head mounted upon thepipe, a combined lifting and buffer spring, a pole-socket pivotallysecured to the base at a point below the center of the spring, andconnecting-links between the cross-head and the polesoeket.

3. In a trolley, the combination of a base, a pipe secured to the base,a sliding crosshead mounted on the outer end of the pipe, a slidingcollar mounted on the inner end of the pipe, a combined lifting andbuffer spring located between the cross-head and the collar, and adaptedto be compressed from each end, a pole-socket pivotally secured to thebase at a point below the center of the spring, and means on the socketfor engaging with the sliding collar when the pole rises to apredetermined height.

i. In a trolley, the combination of a base, a casting swiveled thereon,a pipe, a cross head on the outer end of the pipe, a sliding collarprovided with lugs also mounted on the pipe, a combined lifting andbuffer spring surrounding the pipe and located between the collar andhead, andstops for limiting the outward movement of the head, a forkedpolesocket pivoted to the base at a point below the center of thespring, and projections on the arms of the fork arranged to strike thelugs on the collar when the trolley is at or near its vertical position.

In a trolley, the combination of a casting swiveled upon the base, apipe mounted in a lug on the casting and extending outward therefrom, across-head mounted upon the pipe at the outer end, a sliding collarhaving outwardlyextending lugs mounted upon the pipe at the inner end, acombined lifting and buffer spring between the collar and head and stopslimiting the outward movement of the head, a pole-socket pivoted to thecasting at a point below the center of the spring, lugs on the head andpole-socket in which are mounted connecting-rods, and devices on thepole-socket engaging the lugs on the sliding collar when the trolley isat or near its vertical position.

6. I11 a trolley, the combination of a base, a vertically-extending studmounted thereon, a casting supported by said stud, a single supportextending outward from the casting, a combined lifting and buffer springmounted on the support, a pole-socket provided with a fork extension onits lower side, the arms of which straddle the casting, and a transverseshaft forming the center of motion of the trolley-pole and socketsituated below the center line of the spring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of June,1897.

FRANK E. CASE.

\Vitnesses:

I I IIULL, A. F. MAcDoNALD.

